“I want to be who God designed me to be.”

When Mike Jones enrolled in Emotionally Healthy Discipleship, he wasn’t sure what he was stepping into.

“I had read the book several years before, and I found it incredibly engaging and compelling,” Mike explained. “Like signing up for a workout class or personal trainer, I needed to sign up for the class to hold myself accountable.”

These courses are an opportunity to redefine yourself—to see yourself as God sees you. Part of the process is looking back at your history and examining which experiences shaped the ideas you hold about yourself and what needs to change.

For Mike, that change came about when he committed to doing what the teachers asked. He explained that although the word “emotion” is present in the name, the course is really about process—how setting your life up and committing to certain practices can be truly transformative. Denise Beckman, a course leader, echoed that sentiment.

“As an American, I feel like becoming Christ-like should happen in an instant,” Denise confessed. “This course has shown me that [becoming like Christ] is a lifetime experience. No one ever says, ‘I golfed once and now I’m done.’”

This course is broken into two parts. The first track, Emotionally Healthy Spirituality, is all about understanding yourself as God sees you. The second track, Emotionally Healthy Relationships, focuses on how that identity shift affects the way you live.

“If I’m honest, before I started the class I remember thinking, ‘My gosh, this is not what I thought life would be like.’” Mike recalled. “Young Mike would have said, ‘You get the degree, you get the job and then you’ll be happy,’ but life doesn’t work that way.  I know that I want to be who God designed me to be, and that takes change on my part.”

With God, there is always more to learn. Although this is a two-part course, many have found benefit in taking it more than once. Denise has taught the course multiple times and is encouraged each session as she has seen newcomers and repeat students take the course.

“I love helping people become whole Christians—not just people who know facts, but people who are being transformed by God from the inside out, “ Denise said. “To take this course multiple times is to go deeper and make new discoveries. Everyone who has taken these courses multiple times has said it was worth it.”

“Our journey is never done,” Mike said. ”You have to keep seeking, keep asking, keep reflecting and as you do that, you’ll grow into who God wants you to be. I know that I want to be who God designed me to be, and that takes change on my part.”